NCAA bans Indian mascots, nicknames from postseason events
Associated Press
August 5, 2005

INDIANAPOLIS— The NCAA banned the use of American Indian mascots by
sports teams during its postseason tournaments, but will not prohibit
them otherwise.

The NCAA's executive committee decided this week the organization did
not have the authority to bar Indian mascots by individual schools,
committee chairman Walter Harrison said Friday.

Nicknames or mascots deemed "hostile or abusive'' would not be allowed
by teams on their uniforms or other clothing beginning with any NCAA
tournament after Feb. 1, said Harrison, the University of Hartford's
president.

"What each institution decides to do is really its own business''
outside NCAA championship events, he said.

Guidelines were not immediately available on which logos and nicknames
would be considered "hostile or abusive.''

The NCAA two years ago recommended that schools determine for themselves
whether the Indian depictions were offensive.

Among the schools to change nicknames in recent years over such concerns
were St. John's (from Redmen to Red Storm) and Marquette (from Warriors
to Golden Eagles).

The NCAA plans to ban schools using Indian nicknames from hosting
postseason events. Harrison said schools with such mascots that have
already been selected as tournament sites would be asked to cover any
offensive logos.

Such logos also would be prohibited at postseason games on cheerleader
and band uniforms starting in 2008.